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Nevada to offer Skill-based Slots

05/16/201505/22/2015Trey

Nevada is finally getting on board with the skill-based slots theme. Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill that will allow Nevada casinos to offer slots with variable payback that’s dependent on a player’s skill.

Proposed by the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), Senate Bill 9 asks the Nevada Gaming Commission to set up guidelines on arcade-style gaming. Specifically, casino operators feel like they’ll have a better chance at attracting younger generations of players if they can add skill elements to slots. While slots games still remain big money makers for casinos, the demographic among players is widely skewed towards middle-aged and older people.

A state-commissioned study examined the matter and determined that this is indeed the case, which gave passing Senate Bill 9 some urgency. Sandoval noted this when saying that the new legislation will allow Nevada casinos to “meet the challenges prompted by a younger, more technologically engaged visitor demographic.”

The bill’s authors envision base payback for these slots starting at 88%, then payback could go all the way up to 98%, depending upon a player’s skill level. There’s no set formula for where the skill elements will come from. But the idea is to use various bonus rounds with skill involved to determine how much players increase payback by. For example, players might be competing against opponents in a race or blowing enemy planes out of the sky during bonus rounds.

Many of those who’ve played online slots already have a good idea on how skill-based slots work. After all, some of these games are readily available online, and they feature 3D graphics and user-controlled bonus rounds. But it’s nice to see land-based casinos getting into the act as well, especially since many younger generations crave a different kind of action than older people.